Chapter 0046
Cara’s POV
Today we’re having a family party. Or rather… a family meeting that mix business and pleasure.
We’re having a barbeque in the backyard, and the sound of Mia and Ethan’s laughter in the background warms my heart.
The Arbun family is very nice. No matter what comes their way, they try to solve it together with their family members.
That’s something I could never have imagined as an orphan in the past, but now I’m part
of it.
‘Hey, Ryan, nice outfit. Did you get dressed in the dark?” I hear my brother Aidan joke, and laughter echoes around us.
“I’d insult you back, bro, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t have enough brain cells to understand it,” His twin Ryan fires back with a chuckle. The banter between them is comfortable, like they’ve been teasing each other this way for their entire lives.
Aidan’s the troublemaker, the jokester, the risk–taker. His temper is as fiery as his bright red hair, but no one ever questions his loyalty to his family and his pack.
Ryan is grilling steaks, the delicious scent makes my mouth water. Though he tends to come across as much calmer, Ryan can hold his own with his rambunctious twin, Aidan.
Those two are seemingly always in the midst of one hairbrained scheme or another.
“What did you want to talk to us about, Eamon?” Colin asks as he throws a ball to Ethan. As youngest brother, Colin is usually the quietest, but he’s mature beyond his years.
Colin’s heart of gold is probably why Eamon involves him in more pack business than would normally be expected for a sixth son.
But Colin always thinks before he speaks, which unfortunately can’t be said of the older Aidan and Ryan.
“Let’s wait, Landon should be here any minute.” Eamon replies.
“Landon’s coming?!” Aidan and Ryan ask in unison.
As a painter and professional playboy, Landon is a perpetual world traveler and is almost never at home.
“I requested that he be here to discuss a very interesting proposition the pack has received.” Eamon says cryptically.
Everyone raises their eyebrows at him, curious what this is about.
The back gate opens and Landon rushes through, as if he’d been summoned by our talk of him.
“Hey, there he is!”
“Good to see you, bro!”
“How’ve you been?”
There are hugs all around as we welcome Landon back home. He looks disheveled as usual, multicolored paint droplets splattered across his shirt.
He flashes his charming smile before pulling me into a big bear hug.
“How are you doing, Cara? How are the kids?” He asks.
“Uncle Landon!!” Mia and Ethan scream together, running to hug his knees while I’m still in Landon’s embrace.
We’re all caught in one large mass of arms and smiles and laughter.
It’s a beautiful moment.
“Kids, can you go see Auntie Ruby inside? I think I hear a monster trying to catch her,” I say to Mia and Ethan with a chuckle.
The kids don’t need to hear the business part of this meeting.
“Let’s go save her, Ethan!” Mia screeches before running inside.
“Mia, don’t forget to take your medicine!” I call after her. Her doctors recently suggested a new treatment, hoping to minimize her symptoms. So far though, I’m not sure it’s working.
Ethan places a soft, sweet kiss on my cheek before turning to catch up to his sister.
Now that the kids are gone, Eamon starts the business portion of the meeting.
“First, I urge you all to truly consider this, no matter how you might feel when you first hear the idea,” Eamon says with an air of authority befitting an Alpha King.
“We’ve been invited to re–open trade and business dealings with Pack DarkWood,” Eamon says simply.
“What?!”
“Is this a joke?”
The outrage is voiced by Aidan, Ryan, and Colin.
2,3
“That guy is a dick, and we all know it!” Aidan says, referring to Alaric.
“How can we trust him to make fair deals?” Colin’s tone is more measured, but he’s just as skeptical.
“Yeah, it hates us!” Ryan replies. He elbows his twin Aidan and says more lowly, “As he should, if he’s a smart enough to figure out who’s been pulling all those pranks on him over the years…” The two laugh to each other.
* Chapter 0047
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0047
